Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wescacandy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calibrachoa  plant named ‘Wescacandy’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding growth habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; numerous small-sized mottled red purple and yellow-colored flowers with recurved flower petals; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa sp.

Cultivar denomination: ‘WESCACANDY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Wescacandy’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Calibrachoa plants with uniform plant habit and numerous attractive flowers.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Calibrachoa sp. ‘USCAL91001’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,232. The new Calibrachoa plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘USCAL91001’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Südlohn, Germany in April, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany since April, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Wescacandy’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Wescacandy’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding growth habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Numerous small-sized mottled red purple and yellow-colored         flowers with recurved flower petals.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘USCAL91001’. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘USCAL91001’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have smaller flower buds and         flowers than plants of ‘USCAL91001’.     -   2. Flower petals of plants of the new Calibrachoa are recurved         whereas flower petals of plants of ‘USCAL91001’ are flat.     -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and ‘USCAL91001’ differ in         flower color as plants of ‘USCAL91001’ have red purple-colored         flowers with a distinct and narrow yellow-colored star pattern.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa sp. ‘Wesviolet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,584. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Calibrachoa differed from plants of ‘Wesviolet’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa were more compact than and not         as vigorous as plants of ‘Wesviolet’.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had shorter and thicker lateral         stems than plants of ‘Wesviolet’.     -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had larger leaves than plants         of ‘Wesviolet’.     -   4. Plants of the new Calibrachoa had smaller flower buds and         flowers than plants of ‘Wesviolet’.     -   5. Plants of the new Calibrachoa and ‘Wesviolet’ differed in         flower color as plants of ‘Wesviolet’ had solid violet-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Wescacandy’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers in Südlohn, Germany, under typical commercial cultural practices during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranging from 16° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranging from 3 to 50 klux. Plants were pinched one time about four weeks after planting and plants were 15 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. ‘Wescacandy’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Calibrachoa     sp. ‘USCAL91001’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,232. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three to four weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 3.5 to four weeks at             temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four to             five weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About five to             six weeks at temperatures about 18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, medium in thickness; color, close             to 158A.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense to dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, semi-upright to mounding             growth habit; freely branching habit with lateral branches             potentially developing at every node; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm to 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 58.5 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 18 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2.5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.25 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong; flexible.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—Close to 146C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.25 cm to 1.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             slightly lighter than 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, slightly lighter than             147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with usually             about six to ten flowers developing per lateral branch;             flowers face mostly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             April to October in Germany.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five to             seven days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3 cm to 3.6 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 3.6 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 7.5 mm to 10 mm.         -   Flower tube diameter, base.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Shape: Oblong. Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Color: Close to 151C; mid-section and towards             the apex, close to 16A to 16B; venation, close to 200A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 2 cm to 2.3 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.3 cm. Petal             shape: Broadly obovate. Petal apex: Emarginate. Petal             margin: Entire; recurved. Petal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny to dull. Color: Petal             lobe, when opening, upper surface: Centers, close to 60B;             along margins, close to 9B to 9C. Petal lobe, when opening,             lower surface: Centers, close to 60C to 60D; along margins,             close to 9C to 9D. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper surface:             Centers, close to 61B to 61C with random spots, close to 9C;             along margins, close to 9B to 9C; with development, colors             becoming closer to N79C and 9D. Petal lobe, fully opened,             lower surface: Centers, close to 63B; along margins, close             to 9D; with development, center color becoming closer to             N79D. Throat: Close to 163B; venation, close to 200D. Tube:             Close to 151C; venation, close to 200A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             1 cm. Sepal width: About 2.5 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate.             Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; dull. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: About             five per flower. Filament length: About 1 cm to 1.25 cm.             Filament color: Close to 145C. Anther shape: Ovate,             four-parted. Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther width:             About 1.25 mm. Anther color: Close to 8B. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 13B. Pistils: Quantity: One             per flower. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About             9 mm. Style color: Close to 144C to 144D. Stigma shape:             Ovate. Stigma color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to             144C. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development have not             been observed on plants of the new Calibrachoa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about 28° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Calibrachoa plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘Wescacandy’ as illustrated and described. 